Morning journal and courier., 1887-08-22
THE n. m. oLDs LAUNCHED.

Haven to witness the launching of the schoon- |
er Fl. Fl. Odds from Gessner & Mars ship
yard Nobody was disappointed for going.
There were at least four thousand people who
crowded and jostled one another in the ship
yard and carriages were as numerous as at
a Harvard Yale ball game. All were as anx-
ious as could be to get as near to the schoon-
err as possible so that they might hear the
exercises. On board were many who had
been invited. In the number who witnessed
the launch were dozens of prominent men of
the city. People in carriages took up room
wherever they could get it. The Kimberly
avenue bridge contained a line of them.
Small boats of all kinds dotted the water
thereabouts. The sun hid himself under
| bank of clouds as if realizing that it would
| be far more comfortable to the onlookers if
| he would. This, with good breeze, made
the occasion for the launch model one. j.
| D. Dewell was made master OF the literary
| ceremonies. He made very interesting ad-
dress. He said:
MR.. DEwELL's REMARKS.
Ladies and gentlemen-By direction of the
owners respectfully ask your attention to
brief ceremonial before the launching of this
vessel, one fitting to the occasion and which
| you will all enjoy, I think. AS prelude
| would say that we are here not only to in
| spect the graceful form of this new creation
and to witness it's baptism, but to congratu-
late as well the builders and owners of this
| beautiful craft Especially do we felicitate
| that veteran architect Mr.. Gessner, who mod
| ele1 its fair lines and proportions, and all
| honor to the managing owner, Mr.. Henry
Sutton, who to-day views the completion
of his eleventh enterprise in this oil,
restion, and in token of which and
| by virtue of my position at this time now
| dub and create him commodore of the SUIT
| toa fleet; and last, but not least, we congrat-
| ulate him who has given his name to this
comedy schooner, gentleman who has long
been among US, who by patient toll, untir1ng
1 industry and honest methods has reached
proud position in the estimation of his fell
| low men. Long life to Henry Fl. Odds and
the noble vessel that bears his name. Mr..
| Odds has very dear friend present who has
come a long journey to gladden. her eyes
| with the glorious spectacle of new birth,
| and she has kindly consented to act as priest
and poet of the feast.
Mrs Hanaford was introduced to the as
semblage by Mr.. Dewell. She made the fol-
| lowing address, closing by reading the poem
| appended composed by herself:
AT THE LAUNCHING OF THE 'fH. H. oLDs."
Aug. 20, 1887.
| Remarks and poem by Rev. Phebe A. Hanaford. ]
rejoice in the pleasant privilege of speak
| ing here to-day in grateful recognition of
1 that supreme being of whom the Psalmist
| said ''The sea is his and he made it, and his
| hands prepared the dry land" and to whom
we can also say in the language of the
poet, "Thoushast set bounds to the sea that it
| cannot pass, saying thus far shalt thou come
l and no farther, and there shall thy proud
waves be stayed"
And believing as I do that commerce is
marvellous factor in the worlds civilizs-
| ton, and that the advancement of humanity
| to it's present position could never have been
secured without the aid of commerce, am
| glad to be present at the launching of this
| noble craft.
And as descendant for many generations
of those VINO have been our American vi
kings-the men who trod the quarter deck of
Nantucket whalers and merchantmen-I am
proud to be here to express an interest-in the
launching of so stout and fair vessel as will
be Graded upon these blue waters to day. 1
believe what one declared once, that sit may
almost be held that the hope of commercial
gain has done nearly as much for the cause
of truth as even the love of truth" God has
overruled that hope of gain and guided it for
the good of all nations upon every shore.
New Haven is a historic and important
seaport, and deserves to have such vessels as
the one nowi to be launched go forth from
its sheltering harbor. (And West Haven,
New Haven township till 1922, while this
vessel, having New Haven owners, may prop
erly be regarded assisting to represent New
Haven commerce today
Professor Dexter, in his paper read before
the New Haven Colony Historical society in
January, 1884, says that one hundred years
ago s'New Haven in fulfllment of the dream
of it's founders ard of all the early genera
lions, was already of Importance a sea-
port; it had in operation extensive
As1,a hod 70 TTniO how
and Long wharf, though not SO long as
already, since the announcement of peace,
vessels had begun to sail direct for England |
and Ireland, though the mainstay was COM
MERGE with the West Indies, SO far as they
were open to us in the export of horses, oxen, |
pork, beef and timber, with return cargoes
of sugar and molasses. In 1884 thirty six |
American vessels, with one British ship and |
one Danish, are recorded as entering this |
port, while thirty-three sea-going vessels
were owned have all engaged in foreign and
West India trade, as against forty that were
owned just before the war began in 1775; at |
the close of the warlike operations in 1881, |
this number had dwindled to one solitary |
vessel, so that the return of prosperity had /
been rapid in this branch; most of those |
now owned were built here or in the 1
immediate neighborhood. There was at least |
one line of packets carrying both passengers
and freight to New York weekly during the |
open season, and another weekly line run |
ming to New London and Norwich"
That was hundred years ago. The cen-
tury that has passed since that time has |
shown commendable and marvellous prog
ress. The citizens by whose efforts the city |
was incorporated, it is declared by the Rev. |
Thomas R. Bacon in his centennial Grafton,
chopped for great commercial city, sending
out its merchant fleets to the ends of the
earth;" and though, as he went on to say,
f'the hopes of the petitioners for the charter
1oOIyo 1 yoT1a he yufh of NnTx
Haven as a commercial port engaged
in foreign trade, and it may seem
at first glance as if these hopes had been dis
appointed" yet those hopes "however illu-
sive they have proved, certainly were ground
ed in experience. From the very earliest
times the commerce of New Haven with for
eign ports, and especially with the West
Indies, was considerable. just before the
opening of the revolutionary war in 1875
there had been forty vessels engaged in for
eign trade owned in New Haven. At the
close of the war there was but one. And
signing of the treaty of peace, there were
most of them in the West
Indies trade, though some of them sailed for
other foreign ports. This extraordinary re-
vival of shipping might well lead men to
believe that New Haven was to be great
in virtue of its foreign trade. But
the far superior harbors of New York to the
west and Boston TO the east, and various
changes in the courses of trade left
New Haven far behind in this matter. And
yet the foreign trade of New Haven has
steadily increased from that day to this, ex-
,ept during the days of the last war with
England. 1t was matter of surprise to
me" Mr.. Bacon goes on to say, ''to learn,
upon unquestionable authority, that there is
more tonnage engaged in foreign trade owned
n New Haven to-day than ever before. But
We almost lose sight of the foreign trade of
New Haven in the development of domes- |
lie commerce which was as unexpected by
he fathers as was the rise of the manufac-
uring industries The extension and set. |
.lement of the territory of the United States
md the wise provision of the con-
Ititution whereby the States surrendered the
light to lay import duties against one another
lave opened the breadth of continent to IN.
trade. From Maine to Florida and
among sc, 000,0 900 of people, conn
nerce is absolutely unshackled. Freedom of !
rade between the States, accelerated by the
of railroads, steam navigation